An Evaluation of Rectal Carcinoids: A Trend Towards Earlier Detection and Treatment

With increased regularity of diagnostic colonoscopies, it has been suggested that rectal carcinoids are being detected earlier with decreasing need for radical therapy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate our experience with rectal carcinoids, in particular, to identify trends towards earlier detection and minimally invasive treatment options.Rectal carcinoid patients identified from a pathology database and gastrointestinal tumor registry were retrospectively reviewed from a single institution from 1991-2006. Demographics, diagnostic information, treatments, and outcomes were documented. Patients were grouped into two time periods, 1991-2003 (Group I) and 2004-2006 (Group II) for comparison. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and chi-square analyses and ANOVA tests of significance were performed with a p-value